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While a little rain isn’t so bad, full on storms that can potentially flood roads and keep people stuck where they are can have serious consequences, including not being able to come home right away to our pets. When making emergency plans, it’s important to consider our pet’s well-being as well. Because they are domesticated, pets depend on us for their needs, such as food, water, and shelter. It’s up to us to make sure they are well-cared for during uncertain times, including during natural calamities.
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In an ideal world, you’ll be able to comfort your pets by being next to them during scary situations. After all, no amount of gadgets can take the place of your actual presence. However, for some people, like medical professionals, essential workers, and emergency response personnel, you may need to be stationed away from them to fulfill your duties. It’s also possible that you are stranded in your school or workplace due to hazardous terrain and are unable to return home immediately.
In general, making your pet feel less anxious during storms primarily consists of making sure they are physically safe and have soothing outlets. Once these needs are met, they’re more likely going to be able to regulate their stress better, even when you’re not around. To do this, there are a couple of gadgets you can invest in that can help alleviate your worries when you’re far away from your furbaby. Here are a few of them.
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Smart collars or trackers and pet cameras
Anyone who has ever had a cat will know the anxiety of not knowing whether they are just hiding or have escaped your home altogether. These days, you may want to get a smart collar with GPS capabilities and additional health tracking features. If you’re not sure where to start looking, you can check out our list of the highest rated smart collars for dogs for some ideas. While you can also get general trackers like the Apple AirTag, they can lack a lot of useful pet-specific features a smart collar might have. Tile does have a tracker specifically designed for cats, but they seem to be the only major brand that does. Apart from smart collars, you should consider getting your pet microchipped, which can help activate other things on this list, like smart doors and food dispensers.
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With pet cameras, you can check things like if your food and water dispenser are working as normal, as well as a range of interactions that can make your pet feel less lonely in your absence. The Furbo 360 Cat Camera ($210) lets you remotely view your cat, dispense treats, and even lets you attach a feather wand toy that you can use to keep your cat busy. Not to mention, it has smart alerts like the vomit alert, continuous meowing alert, and a Furbo Cat Nanny subscription. Alternatively, Furbo also offers a Furbo 360 Dog Camera ($210) for dog owners too, which has similar features but has bark alerts for dogs.
Automatic feeders and water fountains
During storm season, one of the most important things pet owners should think about is how to make sure their pets can eat and drink, especially if you won’t be around for extended periods.
On Amazon, one of the best-selling pet feeders is the VOLUAS Automatic Cat Feeder (starts at $59.99), which has an average rating of 4.5 stars across almost 10,000 reviews. With a maximum 6L capacity, it can hold up to 40 meal portions for kibbles as big as 10 mm in size. Most importantly, it can also run via a wired power outlet or battery, which is perfect if your home is prone to power outages. But, if you have a pet that requires a special diet or medication mixed in with their food, you can get the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder ($174.99) instead.
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One of the key advantages of an automatic pet fountain is that you don’t have to replace or refill the water as often because of its built-in filters. Some highly rated pet water fountains include the Veken 2.8L Pet Fountain ($26.99) which over 36,000 users have rated 4.3 stars on average. But if you have a large dog or a multi-pet household, you can check out SIBAYS 7L Dog Water Fountain ($39.99) that can hold more than twice the amount of hydration. It has an average rating of 4 stars from 800+ pet parents and one full tank can last a large breed for more or less a week.
Smart pet doors
If you’re a furparent that usually allows your pets to roam free in your backyard or even the neighborhood, you might be worried that they’ll be unexpectedly caught outdoors during a storm. While it can be difficult to get them into your house from wherever they are roaming, there is a way to make sure they stay inside once they’re already there: smart pet doors.
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To keep your small dogs or large cats locked in, the CEESC Extra Large Cat Door ($22.99) that runs 11″ x 9.8″ is a highly rated option with an average of 4.4 stars from 9,000 reviewers on Amazon. However, the only catch is that the locking method needs to be done in-person with physical switches, so you can’t remotely change it, although it can still be a good budget option if you can secure your pets before you leave your home.
For something more advanced that won’t let other animals into your house, the SureFlap Sure Petcare Microchip Pet Door ($199.99) uses RFID to detect microchips for up to 32 pets and runs on batteries, so you don’t have to worry about power outages. But, if you want to be able to check if your pets are already indoors and remotely lock them in during a sudden storm, you might want to get a PetSafe SmartDoor (starts at $399.95). Not only does it come with an app, but it is also battery-powered and works for bigger-sized pets, as long as they’re 100 lbs and under.
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Enrichment toys
Even if it’s for their own safety from the elements, being indoors for too long can be stressful for some pets, especially if they’re working breeds or generally used to being active. One way to make sure they don’t get stir-crazy is to keep them entertained with interactive toys that can run automatically via touch activation or schedule. One positively rated toy on Amazon is the PetDroid Interactive Dog Ball ($39.99) which is activated by touch, so it doesn’t need you to be around for it to start bouncing around. With an average rating of 3.9 stars from more than 9,000 reviewers, it has a 4-hour battery life that can encourage your dog to have some much-needed movement. If you don’t mind the occasional loudness on hard floors when it goes on crazy mode, it could be a nice companion for your pet for stormy nights.
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As for cat owners, the ORSDA 2in1 Interactive Toy for Indoor Cats ($31.99) comes with multiple feathers and 2 balls with an option to purchase additional accessories. With a smart mode feature that works for 10 minutes every four hours during the day, you’ll be sure your furbaby gets at least 30 minutes of workout time when you’re not around. Over 7,000 pet parents have bought this toy and gave it an average of 4.3 stars, with several buyers mentioning excellent customer service. Since it runs on batteries, it’s a great option if your home runs out of power during a storm.
Automatic litter cleaner
A common issue that cat owners face is making sure the litter boxes are cleaned regularly. After all, cats are known to be particular with their hygiene and will outright do their business outside the litter box if they don’t find it to their liking. If you don’t want to come home to cat pee on your clothes, a robotic litter box could be the solution, like the PetSafe ScoopFree Crystal Pro Self Cleaning Litter Box ($164.95) which has an average rating of 4 stars across 18,000 reviews.
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But before you get a self-cleaning litter box, there are a few things you should consider. First, you’ll want to make sure that you buy a design that fits your cat’s preferences, like closed litter boxes or open litter boxes. Second, it’s important to consider your cat’s size to make sure there’s enough space for them to comfortably do their business. Third, you also need to think about the safety mechanics of the machine. Earlier this year, The Daily Mail reported a design flaw in certain litter box models that close completely, which could potentially trap your cats and hurt them.
The nice thing about automatic litter boxes is even if they stop working due to storm power outages, they can still work like normal litter boxes. That said, it’s important to also have the right number of litter boxes for the number of felines in your home, which is one more than the number of cats you have.
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Automatic calming sprays
Scent plays a huge role in our pet’s lives by serving as the primary way they navigate the world around them. As a pet owner, this means you can also utilize scents to help comfort them during stressful situations, like storms.
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A popular pet calming spray on Amazon is the NaturVet Quiet Moments Herbal Calming Room Spray Dog Supplement ($13.99), which has an average of four stars across 47,500 reviews. Aside from helping relieve dogs of storm-related anxiety, it can also be used to calm down dogs when riding cars or going to the vet. As for cat owners, over 30,000 furparents rated the FELIWAY Classic Cat Calming Pheromone Spray ($24.99) four stars, which works to relieve provide relief to stressed felines. Alternatively, if your dog typically does not like staying in the same room for long, you can get collars that slowly release calming hormones as well, like the Calming Collar for Dogs ($18.96).
On the other hand, if you don’t want the hassle of dealing with constantly spraying, the FELIWAY Classic Cat Calming Pheromone Diffuser ($24.99), which has an average of 4.0 stars across more than 26,000 reviews, is good for 30 days. Similar to the spray version, FELIWAY claims it can help reduce symptoms of anxiety, including scratching, hiding, and urine spraying. For dog owners, the ThunderEase Dog Calming Pheromone Diffuser Kit ($24.99), which is also on sale for $18.18, can do the same job for dogs.
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Methodology
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The recommendations on this list are items that I’ve experimented with as a pet owner through the years. In the past, I’ve taken care of multiple pets from big working dogs like German Shepherds, smaller dogs like Chihuahuas and Yorkshire terriers, and cats. In my country, we experience an average of 20 storms a year, which means having to proceed normally with work and other activities even in the midst of flooding or electricity outages. Because of this, it has become necessary to make plans for our pet’s health and safety in the event we may not make it home right away due to blockages or poor visibility on the road.
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As for the recommendations, we’ve looked at the reviews from users across various platforms and have included items that have received generally positive reviews from its buyers. That said, it’s still important for you to still do your own due diligence, especially if you have pets that have special needs or require accommodations due to their age, physical disabilities, or existing health conditions. And of course, while many items on this list are useful tools for giving you some peace of mind, it’s still not a substitute for your physical presence or the watchful eyes of a trusted friend or family member. As with any natural disaster, storms can be unpredictable, so it’s best to avoid leaving your pets alone as much as possible during these periods.
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